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Preventing hot car deaths in children

(WISH Photo)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Since 1998, 946 children have died of heatstroke because they were left or trapped in a hot car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.

NTHSA says there are five key things to keep in mind when it comes to kids and cars during the summer months:

  • A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s body
  • Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees
  • A child can die when their body temperature reaches 107 degrees
  • In 2022, 33 children died of heatstroke in vehicles
  • In 2018 and 2019, there was a record number of hot car deaths

More than half of those deaths happened in children under 2-years-old, according to NoHeatStroke.org.

Parents can prevent deaths in children due to being left in a hot car with five steps:

  • Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any amount of time
  • Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle, especially the back seat, before locking the doors and walking away
  • Ask your childcare provider to call if your child does not show up for care as expected
  • Place a personal item in the back seat prompting you to check before exiting your vehicle
  • Store keys out of your child’s reach